What The Republican Party Needs to Change

Since President Obama routed Mitt Romney at the polls, pundits galore have been pontificating a good deal about what went wrong, what Republicans need to do to repair their party, ad nauseum.

Most of the advice, however, has emanated from people who live in or near medic-centered locations such as New York, Washington, Boston and Los Angeles.

This piece reflects some of the thinking of one who lives in rural North Carolina, far enough away to avoid the odors coming from the state capital, Raleigh, much less from Washington and the other dins of stupidity where intellectual columnists share the same interests, socialize with each other, and sit around and reinforce each other’s opinions.

There are two major things that need to be done.

The Republican Party should change its name.

And, two, it should change its core philosophy.

No matter how fundamental the party may change its philosophy, it will remain a loser as long its name is Republican, which will forever be known as the party of the rich and the party that wants to deregulate everything.

Neither of the above is true of the Republican Party any more than it is of the Democratic Party.

But, Democrats have a lock on portraying themselves as being the party of the poor and downtrodden. The dark truth, though, is that the result, if not the intent, of Democratic programs has been to add to the poverty rolls.

Individual millionaires and corporations tend to play both sides of the street, donating as much to Democrats as to Republicans. In fact, both parties are influenced more by one millionaire than by a half million or more average citizens.

Beginning with the administration of Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, Democrats have enjoyed posing as the party of the poor, and will continue to do so, unless the Republican Party changes its stripes, and its name.

As for regulation, the public has been taught to believe that big business companies hate regulations and, since they are considered to be backers of Republicans, then by extension Republican lawmakers must be in favor of fewer regulations.

On the contrary, big corporations love regulations. They tend to stifle competition. Small companies cannot compete with regulations as well as large companies. And politicians of all political persuasions love the campaign contributions from wealthy individuals and big businesses.

Since the day Franklin Roosevelt stumbled carrying Eleanor into the White House Democrats have enjoyed the luxury of garnering poor peoples' vote, while spending taxpayers' money increasing both the number of poor – and at the same time adding to its loyal-supporter bloc of voters.

"How prone all human institutions have been to decay; how subject the best-formed and most wisely organized governments have been to lose their check and totally dissolve; how difficult it has been for mankind, in all ages and countries, to preserve their dearest rights and best privileges, impelled as it were by an irresistible fate of despotism." —James Monroe, speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention, 1788